DCS / SCADA Explained

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware elements that allows industrial organizations to

•         Control industrial processes locally or at remote locations

•         Monitor, gather, and process real-time data

•         Directly interact with devices such as sensors, valves, pumps, motors, and more through human-machine interface (HMI) software

•         Record events 

The basic SCADA architecture begins with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or remote terminal units (RTUs). PLCs and RTUs are microcomputers that communicate with different things such as  machines, sensors, and end devices, and then route the information from those things to computers with SCADA software. The SCADA software processes, distributes, and displays the data, helping operators and other employees analyze the data and make important decisions.

For example, the SCADA system quickly notifies an operator that a batch of product is showing a high incidence of errors. The operator pauses the operation and views the SCADA system data via an HMI to determine the cause of the issue. The operator reviews the data and discovers that Machine was malfunctioning. The SCADA system’s ability to notify the operator of an issue helps him to resolve it and prevent further loss of product.



SCADA Applications

Manufacturing Insudtries
Water and Waste Water management
Oil and gas
    Pipeline monitoring and control
    Remote equipment and asset monitoring and control of production, pumping, and storage locations
Transportation
Renewable energy (Solar and Wind energy Monitoring)
Power distributions and control


 


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